London Parks & Gardens

19/09/2026

Winter Lecture Series 2026/2027 is here, and we’re thrilled to present an incredible lineup of world-class speakers, historic insights, and modern design innovations running from October through to March!

Use the links in bio to book our Winter Lecture Series Tickets. A season ticket gives you  access to all 6 monthly online lectures for the price of 5. This includes a surprise final lecture in March! 🎟️✨

What’s in store for this season:

🌸 27 Oct 2026 (18.30): The Royal Parks: Gardening for People and Planet with Matthew Pottage (Matthew Pottage), Head of Horticulture The Royal Parks. This event is online and in person at St John’s Waterloo (SE1 8TY).

🏛️ 9 Nov 2026 (18.30): 1,000 Year Old Garden: Inside the Secret Garden at Lambeth Palace with head gardener Nick Stewart-Smith (). Nick is the author of 'The Thousand Year Old Garden: Inside the Secret Garden at Lambeth Palace' (The History Press, 2023). 

📜 14 Dec 2026 (18.30): From Peace to War: The Impact of the First World War on London’s Parks with researcher Pauline Kinch. Pauline is a recent graduate of Birkbeck’s MA Garden History programme. 

🏰 11 Jan 2027 (18.30): A Royal Palace in a Park: Revealing Elsyng Tudor Palace at Forty Hall Park, Enfield with Dr Martin Dearne. Dr Martin Dearne of The Open University and Enfield Archaeological Society offers a whistlestop tour of 25 years of excavations at a spectacular but little-known  palace and its gardens. 

🏊 10 Feb 2027 (18.15): A Short History of Outdoor Swimming in London with Christopher Woodward (Director Garden Museum) online and in person at the Quentin Blake Centre for Illustration (Quentin Blake Centre for Illustration). 

❓ March 2027: The Series will conclude with a surprise lecture to be announced!

Whether you’re a garden history enthusiast, a lover of urban nature, or curious about London’s hidden past, there is something of interest for everyone.

Follow us or subscribe to our newsletter (on our website) to be the first to hear about events from London Parks & Gardens and our partners.

06/08/2026

A new era for Grosvenor Square! 🌳✨

One of Mayfair’s most iconic historic green spaces has reopened after a £25m transformation.

This ambitious project balances the square’s rich horticultural heritage with forward-thinking urban ecology - introducing diverse planting, enhanced habitats for wildlife, and sustainable water management designed to withstand future climate challenges.

This is an exciting step forward for London’s urban environment, ensuring our public green spaces are climate-resilient, biodiverse and remain vibrant, healthy, and accessible for generations to come.

🌿 Read the full story on our news page via the link in bio.

Video: .badea
Video edit: .by.sebi 

05/08/2026

Our team of planning volunteers work with local authorities to support positive developments.

As London faces mounting development pressures, protecting our historic parks, garden squares, and open spaces has never been more vital as Lambeth and Westminster Councils are preparing to launch the first consultation round for their local planning. These are key strategic documents that will set....

20/07/2026

We are incredibly excited to announce that we are taking part in the first-ever Backyard Biennial East hosted by the brilliant Whitechapel Gallery to celebrate their 125th Anniversary!

Running from 15 July to 6 September 2026, this massive 8-week free summer arts festival brings together over 40 local partners to celebrate the creative, cultural, and historic identity of London's East End. 

We’ve teamed up with the Gallery’s participation team and the fantastic walking artist Clare Qualmann () for a very special community project centered around Mile End Park. 📍

Mile End Park has an incredible story—born out of London’s post-war redevelopment to bring vital nature to a densely built neighborhood, it’s evolved beautifully alongside its community. From playing host to Rachel Whiteread’s iconic House in the '90s to its spectacular, tree-lined Green Bridge today, it’s the perfect canvas to explore how urban nature fuels our well-being.

✨ SAVE THE DATE: Saturday 25th July 2026 ✨

Throughout June, we worked with local Tower Hamlets primary school educators to co-create creative "Walking Scores"—playful prompts exploring the deep relationship between walking, mental well-being, and artistic expression. On 25 July, we are showcasing these scores through a public event in Mile End Park!

It’s completely free, open to everyone, and we want to take a walk with as many of you as possible. Let's challenge how we see our modern public green spaces together! 🚶‍♀️🌿

👉 Hit the link in our bio to learn more about the project and keep an eye out for updates. See you in the park! 

Photo: Claire Blundell-Jones ()

16/07/2026

Do you, or someone you know, love London’s history, have a passion for horticulture, and want to play a vital role in unlocking the city’s greenest secrets? We are searching for enthusiastic new volunteer Garden Coordinators to join our friendly delivery team!

As a Garden Coordinator, you’ll work behind the scenes all year round to plan and deliver our flagship annual event. You will be the central point of contact for a specific cluster of beautiful gardens—liaising directly with garden owners, discovering hidden gems, and building lasting relationships within the capital’s vibrant green community.

What we’re looking for: 💚 A genuine passion for London's urban green spaces. 🗓️ Great organizational skills with a positive, tactful, and diplomatic approach. 💻 Digital confidence (emails, internet research, and online meetings). ⏱️ A commitment for at least one year, including attending the big weekend in June 2027.

What’s in it for you? You'll join a dedicated team meeting 8–10 times a year (either online or at our historic Duck Island Cottage in St James’s Park). This is a highly rewarding, fun, and social role where you’ll connect with like-minded people who care about protecting London’s historic landscapes.

✨ Ready to join the team? Email us at 📧 [email protected] with the subject 'Garden Coordinator Role' to register your interest and to request a full description for this role.

23/06/2026

Remember Covid and how we all distanced ourselves and found solace in green spaces?

With London sitting in a red zone of soaring temperatures, revisit those parks, woodlands and other heritage landscapes to keep your cool this week.

London's green spaces will become ever more important with climate change but they also need protecting if we want them to protect us.

Simply watering street trees, allowing grass to grow longer so it can retain moisture, and supporting London Parks & Gardens are simple steps you can take to keep London cool.

https://londongardenstrust.org/support/

19/06/2026

🌿🎭 Looking for the ultimate London summer evening in one of London's gorgeous green spaces? Shakespeare in the Squares is back to our city's most beautiful, lush green squares with something special for this year. 

Celebrating their 10th anniversary milestone, Shakespeare in the Squares are touring a sparkling new production of Love’s Labour’s Lost.  

Think poetic pageantry, light-hearted lunacy, and a soundtrack packed with 1960s and ’70s rock and pop classics. 🎶✨

The tour is in full swing right now and runs until Sunday 12 July. Pack your favourite picnic, a bottle of w**e, and a friend and come to enjoy an unforgettable night of theatre under the canopy of London’s leafiest trees.

🎟️ Head to shakespeareinthesquares.co.uk to find a performance in a garden square near you before tickets sell out!

AD

📸: Steve Gregson

 VisitLondon

18/06/2026

It's National Clean Air Day, the UK’s largest air pollution awareness campaign, raising awareness of the impacts of air pollution on health.

London is lucky in having some 4,000 green spaces cleaning the air we breathe. 🌳🌸🌱🍀

These parks and gardens also reflect the capital's rich heritage and cultures, so visit your nearest and take a deep breath. You can almost feel your blood pressure drop and stress slip off your shoulders. 🧘‍♀️

Find out more about our fantastic heritage landscape with London Parks and Gardens. londongardenstrust.org

12/06/2026

We are proud to share the news Joan Pateman of our research team has been received a national volunteering award from The Gardens Trust.

Congratulations Joan and our sincere thanks!